Lots of things can happen in nine years – the format of a national series can change (and it did); riders come and go and the racing technology gets better. An important change for the 2015 TOTPAK National Off-road Motorcycle and Quad Championship, was the decision to take the series back to Swaziland and off-road enthusiasts are excited for this weekend’s Swazi Cowboyz 400, that is taking place from the Usutu Country Club outside Mbabane.
The last time Swaziland hosted a round of the national off-road motorcycle and quad championship, was in 2006 when the event was held in the Piggs Peak area. Having a look at the results, it seems that only a few motorcycle riders are still competing actively and will again make the trip to the neighbouring country.
These include Kenny Gilbert (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha) who will aim for an OR1 (Open) victory; the defending Senior Class champion, Juan ‘Bollie’ van Rooyen (Brother Leader Tread KTM) who leads this class after the first round as well as Wayne Farmer (Roost KTM / EC Security) who finished in a close second place behind Van Rooyen at the first event and Martin Poole (Yamaha) who is currently third in the Master Class. Another former Senior Class champion, Guy Henley (KTM) has also finished the 2006 Swaziland event and has indicated that he will return to this country to do so again this year.
A few more riders also competed in Swaziland nine years ago and will aim to better their results. These riders include the multiple SA champion, Louwrens Mahoney (Brother Leader Tread KTM) who will not only aim for a proper result at this event, but also to put his first points in the OR1 Championship on the score board. He could not finish the season opener due to a shoulder injury after a crash. Local Swaziland rider and Mahoney’s team-mate, Jono van Wyk, did not finish this event in 2006 and will aim for a good result in front of his home crowd as will Leon Gerber, now racing for Team Bert Smith All Stars Racing Powered by RAD KTM and his team-mate, Kobus Jonck, who finished third in the Senior Class at the first race and will aim for another podium result.
Of the 190 motorcycle riders who competed in Swaziland in 2006 (124 finished the race), these are the only riders who will make the trek back to this country this weekend. The cream of the South African racing crop and more riders who are enjoying the competition, will however be in action and so will some local Swaziland riders as well. Riders like the Swazi hero, Danny Heenan as well as Laurence Murton, who have both competed in the SA national series before, are capable of throwing a spanner in the works.
In OR1, Mahoney’s team-mate, Ross Branch, currently leads the standings with Jonathan Webster (Yamaha) third behind Gilbert and another tight battle is on the cards in this class where riders on motorcycles with engines bigger than 450cc compete against each other.
In OR2, Cameron Becker (VAN’s Racing Division KTM) would want to make a come back after a huge crash during the season opener. He posted the fastest time after the 60 kilometre time-trial and was leading the OR2 class until he crashed. Louw Schmidt (Brother Leader Tread KTM) currently leads the class, but bar banging racing is on the cards as the defending champion, Tyron Miller (Louw’s team-mate) as well as Jaycee Nienaber (D&H Engineering Works Yamaha), who is second, will be at each others’ throats again.
OR3 was the biggest class in the new TOTPAK National Off-road Championship at the first race and milli-seconds separated the riders. Off-road newcomer, Brett Swanepoel (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha) was the first winner, but he will be chased by a pack of hungry hounds including Jarryd Coetzee (Brother Leader Tread KTM) and Bernard McGee (McGee Yamaha Lydenburg) who will aim for more podium results while Swaziland’s Van Wyk would like nothing more than a win.
If all the youngsters in the competitive High School Class have their passports sorted out, some great action can again be expected. Eduan Bester (KTM Centurion Liqui Moly Racing) is on a winning spree, but Dean Lindsay (D&H Engineering Works Yamaha) and Brendon Fourie (Kawasaki) will again aim to stop him in his tracks. These youngsters might not even have started school when others raced in Swaziland, but they will be able to add this event to their ‘Been There, Done That’ after the Swazi Cowboyz 400 event.
In the Master Class, Ian Venter (KTM Centurion Liqui Moly Racing) took the first victory this year, but after years of not racing, it seems that the runner-up, Wade Miller (KTM) has the bit between his teeth and Venter might have his work cut out for him. They will have to watch out for local Swaziland rider, Guy Price-Jones (Yamaha).
The young motocross rider, Gerhard Grove (Yamaha) will go for a second win in the Silver Class Challenge while Taye Perry (Barnard Vervoer KTM) would like to make up for not finishing the season opener in the Ladies Class.
Looking at the quad category, the question can be asked: will it be an eighth consecutive victory for the defending Q1 champion, Brian Baragwanath (Yamaha) – he won all six the 2014 national events as well as this year’s season opener) or will he be stopped in Swaziland? Baragwanath and former Q2 champion, Leonard dos Santos (Suzuki) are the only riders on the current entry list who have competed in Swaziland in 2006 with Baragwanath finishing third while Dos Santos will go back this year with his aim to finish the Swaziland race and win Q2.
Former Open Class champion, Stefan Swanepoel (Yamaha) is on a mission this year and finished second behind Baragwanath at the first round while Jaco Moller (Tzaneen ATV Yamaha) was third. All the riders will hope for a good result as they can not afford to get left too far behind. Damien Lee (Honda) finished just off the Q1 podium while the service crew of André Park (Yamaha), will be on high alert so as to make sure Park do not ran out of fuel like he did during the first event. He is currently fifth in Q1.
Justin Robert (Sign Wonder Racing Honda) leads Q2 while Stuart Freeman (Yamaha); Paul dos Santos (Factory Racing Suzuki) and Ted Barbier (Yamaha) will defend their top three places in the Senior Class championship. The defending Senior Class champion, Russell Ferreira (Honda) could not finish the first event due to mechanical problems, but he will be in top form to make up for lost points.
The defending Master Class champion, George Twigge (Yamaha) will be the one to beat in this class for riders older than 46 years of age while lady rider, Liezel Barnard (Barnard Vervoer Can-Am) leads the Ladies Class. Barnard can however expect to be chased again by Tzaneen scholar, Wilmari Moller (Honda) as well as Richards Bay scholar, Jade Schutte (Yamaha). Action can also be expected in the High School Class as well as in the Silver Class Challenge where Swaziland rider, Gareth Emmett (KTM) and a few local riders will put their talent on show while the class leader, TJ dos Santos (Suzuki) will again go for gold.
The Swazi Cowboys 400 will consist of two 60 kilometre loops. Motorcycle and quad riders will tackle the different loops between 7:30 and 8:00 to complete the time-trial that will determine the starting order for the race that will start at 10:30.